On the pages that follow we are pleased to present a selection of articles on and Australian States that have appeared in Mekeel’s & STAMPS Magazine or StampNewsOnline.net Yesterday in STAMPS: Australian Stamps Tell its History, Part 1 (From STAMPS Magazine, December 1, 1951, with images added)

In this, Australia’s Jubilee Year, it is interesting to review some General Post Office and the Town Hall on North Terrace, and an of the nation’s history as depicted on its postage stamps. overhead display of agricultural products indigenous to South Commonwealth of AustraIia stamps have been issued since Australia. 1913. There are groups representing the Royal Family, figures in The 100th anniversary of the first Australian history, and commemorating national events and special successful voyage down great Murray anniversaries. Others have related to Australia’s war efforts, its place River, to its mouth at Lake Alexandrina, in the aviation, and to its aboriginal and wild life. South Australia, from Gundagai, New Three of Australia’s six South Wales, was celebrated by 1-1/2d States have already celebrated and 3d stamps, released in June 1930. with special stamps the 100 anni- The designs feature an oil painting by versary of their establishment. In J. H. Crossland, then hanging in the September 1929 Western Austra- Adelaide Art Gallery, of Captain (later lia, originally called “The Swan Sir) Charles Sturt (1795-1869) who River Settlement,” produced a undertook the thirty-three-day voy- Australia Sc. 105 1-1/2d stamp for the occasion. age by whaleboat down the Murray, The motif is a Black Swan, the Australia’s longest waterway (1,520 miles). Native spears, shields Australia Sc. 103 emblem of Western Australia, and and a boomerang, weapons used by the River Murray aboriginals the designer was G. P. Morrison, Curator of the National Gallery, who befriended the exploration party on its journey to solve the Perth. Swan River, on which Perth, the State capital, is situated, was riddle of the Western rivers, flank Sturt’s likeness. Lyre bird tail discovered in 1697 by the Dutchman de Vlaming, who recorded for feathers also appear. the first time the existence of black swans. Suggestion for the stamp issue was made by the Royal Austra- Western Australia has an area of 975,920 square miles, is the lian Historical Society in Victoria. largest of the States, and was founded near Perth in June 1929 by The death in 1834 of the pioneer and accepted “father” of the Captain C. H. Fremantle. Australian wool industry, now based on more than 120 million In October 1934 three stamps sheep, 80 per cent of which are merinos, was recalled by three (2d, 3d, and 1/-, Sc. 142-144) stamps printed in November 1934. The pioneer was Captain John were distributed to commemorate Macarthur (1767- 1834), who arrived in Australia in 1790 with the the centenary of the settlement of Corps, and was one of the first military officers Victoria, first known as the Port to take up farming. In 1797 he imported some Spanish merino Phillip District. The stamps show sheep from the Cape of Good Hope and from the stock of King a member of the now extinct George III. Yarra Yarra tribe of aboriginals The first bale of wool export- looking in wonder across the Australia Sc. 144 ed overseas by Macarthur sold at River Yarra at the distant skyline 10/4 [10 shillings / 6 pence] a lb. of Melbourne, Australia’s largest city, and the State capital. in 1807. On these stamps (2d, 3d The first white settlers of Victoria were the Henty Brothers, and 9d, Sc. 147-149) a champion who established a whaling station at Portland Bay in November merino ram, sold in 1934 for 1834. £6,000, takes pride of place. The Melbourne, named after Vis- animal is shown against the Blue count Melbourne, the then Prime Mountains at Camden on the Australia Sc. 147 Minister of England, was founded , New South Wales, in 1835 by John Batman. Pictures the site of Macarthur’s 5,000 acre estate. Macarthur was a notable of Adelaide, capital of South Aus- figure in the politics of the then colony. tralia, as a tent-town of 1836, and The exploration of Central as a city a century later, figure on Queensland by Lieut. Col. Sir three additional Centenary stamps Australia Sc. 160 Thomas Mitchell in 1846 was the (2d, 3d and 1/-), Sc. 159-161. To occasion for commemoration in commemorate the foundation of South Australia as “a Province of October 1946 by 2-1/2d, 3-1/2d the Crown,” by Captain John Hindmarsh, R.N., in December 1836 and 1/- stamps, Sc. 203-205. the stamps appeared in August 1936. The Proclamation ceremony Assistance in the preparation was staged beneath an arched gum (eucalyptus) tree at Glenelg, a of the series was given by the seaside resort six miles from Adelaide. This “Proclamation Tree” is Queensland Historical Society. the central design of the stamps. Also in the picture is the Adelaide The motif is a central portrait of Australia Sc. 203 Sir Thomas Mitchell (1792-1855) against a map of Queensland, and the discovery with some merino sheep at the left and cattle at the right. of gold in payable Mitchell, explorer, Surveyor-General, soldier and writer, quantities by Ed- materially assisted by his 1846 journey in opening up Central ward Hargraves, at Queensland. Bathurst, N.S.W. In Janu- The stamps ary 1850 the were made avail- Colony of able in July 1951. New South The design of the Wales and former was from Australia Sc. 244-245 “Port Phil- a bronze plaque lip District” executed in 1853 by Thomas Woolner, R.A., and depicted Charles introduced Joseph Latrobe (1801-1875). He was in command of the “Port a d h e s i v e Phillip District,” from 1839 until July 1851, when the District (till stamps, with then governed from N.S.W.) gained its independence. New South Wales Sc. 1 t h e c l a s - Victoria Sc. 1 The title of “ Victoria” was then assumed, and Latrobe became sic “ its first Lieutenant-Governor. Victoria has an area of 87,884 square View” and the celebrated “Half Length” renderings. These bear miles. Latrobe established during his office the Melbourne Hospital, respectively a view of Sydney in 1788, with convicts being released Public Library, University, and Benevolent Asylum. at by “Industry”; and a fine half-length study of Queen The illustration of Edward Hargraves (1816-1891), was taken Victoria enthroned, and holding the sceptre and orb. from a portrait included in his work “Australia and its Goldfields, The engraver of the Victorian issue was T. Ham of Melbourne. 1855.” A pick and shovel, and gold mining tools, flank the portrait. The “Sydney View” was by R. Clayton, of Sydney, who adapted it Hargraves, after a visit to America, noticed a similarity at Bathurst, from the Great Seal of N.S.W., prepared by English potter, Josiah where he had pastoral holdings, to the gold-bearing areas of the Wedgwood, and which arrived in Sydney in 1791. United States. His discovery of gold in payable quantities at Sum- In September mer Hill Creek in February 1851 won him world distinction and 1950 the first of the a pension of £250 for life, from 1877. Nowadays Australia is still Commonwealth’s producing gold, and holds fifth place in production. The State of enjoined, or “se- Western Australia has the highest Australian yield. tenant” stamps, both 2-1/2d in val- ue (Sc. 228-229), appeared to mark the centenary of the two initial is- sues, and carry Australia Sc. 228-229 representations, slightly amended, of the N.S.W. and Victorian designs. Recent centenary commemorative issues are the se-tenant 3d pair heralding the attainment of responsible government in Victoria, Yesterday in STAMPS: Australian Stamps Tell its History, Part 2 (From STAMPS Magazine, December 15, 1951, with images added)

Sydney and Newcastle are represented in a Sesquicentenary called it the “Stamp of the Year.” It series of Australia, circulated in October 1937 and September 1947. carries a picture of a mounted post- The former was in 2d, 3d and 9d, and the latter in 2-1/2d, 3-1/2d and man in an outback area, watching a 5-1/2d denominations. Convair airliner passing overhead. Captain (1738- It demonstrates two mail-carrying 1814), of the Royal Navy, and methods in Australia, and is from N.S.W.’s first Governor from 1788 to a drawing provided by the Director 1792, appears on the original issue of of the National Gallery, Victoria, Australia 223 January 23, 1788. He is shown tasting Daryl Lindsay. the waters of the Tank Stream, at Syd- Membership in the U.P.U., as most collectors know, gives member ney Cove in company with his officers countries’ mail the right of way, and provides that it will not be subjected Australia 165 of the (11 vessels), before to delay or interference. deciding on the site of the future Colony for his 1,000 souls. Four designs in a series produced in May 1951 mark the fiftieth The design is from a painting executed in 1926 by the Australian anniversary of the establishment of the Australian Commonwealth. artist John Alcott, well known for his water colors. Some of the First One of these (3d) shows a characteristic portrait of the bearded Sir Fleet vessels appear in the background, and a number of gum trees at Henry Parkes (1815-1896), five times Premier of N.S.W., the “Father the right. of Federation.” It was he who suggested the federation of the Australian It was originally planned to establish the Colony at , colonies under the title “Commonwealth,” as “the grandest and most as recommended by Captain Cook, but the site chosen by Phillip, at stately name by which a great association of self-governing people can Sydney Cove, in , “the finest harbor in the world, in which be characterized.” a thousand sail in line might ride,” was at length selected. An Englishman, The discovery in September 1797 of Henry Parkes (right) Newcastle, the Commonwealth’s chief center migrated to Australia of heavy industry, was made by accident. in 1839, worked as la- Lieut. John Shortland (1769-1810), of the borer and ivory-turner, Royal Navy, entered the Hunter River in and was elected to the search of convicts who had escaped from N.S.W. Legislative Sydney. Council in 1854. In Lieut. Shortland had been former mid- 18-50 he established a shipman in Phillip’s “Siruis.” He did not locate Australia 240-241 newspaper, “The Em- the escapees, but took back to Sydney samples Australia 207 pire.” of coal found in the locality, which was soon Sir Edmund Barton (left), Prime Minister of the new Common- to be known as “Coal River.” wealth from 1901 until 1903, is featured on a second 3d denomination. T h e With Henry Parkes, Barton (1849-1920) was one of the principal agita- Newcastle tors for federation. Called to the Bar in 1871, Edmund Barton entered issue fea- politics in 1879. tures Lieut. Both these stamps have miniature impressions of the Common- Shortland, wealth Coat of Arms at the bottom of from an il- the layouts. lustration in The 5-1/2d denomination car- the Mitch- Australia 209 ries the picture, identical with that ell Library, made at the time by Tom Roberts, Sydney. One stamp bears an interior view of the opening ceremony on May 9, Australia 208 of the pouring of molten iron into an open 1901, by the Duke of York (later King hearth steel furnace at the great Broken Hill George V) of the first Commonwealth Australia 242 Proprietary Steelworks, Newcastle. The B.H.P. works were established Parliament, in the Exhibition Build- in 1913. The third value was of the loading of coal ships by several ing, Melbourne. electric overhead cranes from rail trucks. In 1946 Newcastle shipped A 1/6 value (for airmail usage) 3,685,000 tons of coal. has a view of the Federal Parliament Other Anniversaries building, at the National Capital, Can- Since it is associated with the Universal Postal Union, it was natu- berra. The House is situated on Capital ral that in October 1949 Australia should issue a 3 1/2d stamp for the Hill, in a 3-1/2 acre allotment, amid 75th anniversary of the foundation of the Union. Some overseas critics parkland and gardens. Australia 243 100 Years Ago in Mekeel’s: Australian Annotations by R. J. Hogg (From Mekeel’s Weekly, July 15, 1911, with images added)

The Australian States will soon pass out of view, so far as phila- were made uniform, with 1d postage over the whole British Empire telic interest in new issues is concerned and we will have the new coun- from Australia, and following on the universal use of State stamps try “Australia” to add to our collection of postage stamps. Although within the Commonwealth. This was the second concession we have the postage dues have already represented the Commonwealth in the had since Federation, both granted by our present Labour government, newer albums, they are not of the same universal interest as the postage who, if not such good talkers, are better doers than their predecessors issues, and the mode of their appearance has been more of a “shuffle in the Postal Department. in” than a well heralded new arrival. The report that “Australia” was to be surcharged over all the First, we find that the New South Wales issue had the initials States stamps has been chiefly in the imagination of stamp journals blocked out and the light green stamps thus changed did duty over the and philately has been spared another abomination. States, except in Victoria, in which the Commonwealth still used the There is a general surprise at the many varieties of perforations, old Victorian type. watermarks and designs in the Australian stamps but the causes would be more appropriate in a political than a philatelic journal, as for the last ten years they have all been merely provisionals. The idea when Federation was completed was that these depart- ments were to become completely Federal, but the clause which required three-fourths of the revenue to be returned to the States and the unequal postage and telegraph rates, made it necessary that each was kept sepa- rate during the life of ten years given by the Constitution to that clause, and changes which should have undoubtedly been made owing to the change of sovereigns were postponed by each party in power till the Federal unification. Although all the types were kept up, the stamps were gradually transferred to be printed in Melbourne and Sydney and this Left, New South Wales J2, with “N.S.W.” in tablet at bottom; brought about many of the small differences noted by philatelists. right, Australia J1, with “N.S.W.” removed Take Tasmania, —she evidently had a large stock of 5d, 6d Pictorials and 5d, 2 1/2d, 10d The second change was the addition and 2sh 6d of the Queen’s Head of a scroll where the N.S.W. had originally issue printed by Messrs. De La been and this label, with nothing on it but a Rue of London. The two former watermark to indicate to what country it be- have recently run out and the old longed, was used in the same five States. Queen’s Head is now in use for The third change was made to cover the 5d, as well as the surcharged the whole six States and is really the first 1 1/2. Stamps for 1/2, 1, 2, 3, 4, universally used Commonwealth postage due. The imaginative powers of the Fed- 1899 Tasmania 6d, Sc. 93 eral Postal Department only got as far as to block out “Victoria” from that State’s 9d, 1sh and 10sh now are printed issue and substitute “Australia.” Whether Australia J14, with a in Melbourne. this design will be altered with the Com- scroll where the “N.S.W.” Let us hope that the new monwealth issue is not stated, and if the tablet had been Federal issue when it comes will stamps used by the general public will be be kept up to a high standard of the same as officially used ones is also still a secret. uniformity and that various pa- On May 1st the postage rates over the whole Commonwealth 1911 redrawn 6d, Sc. 116, with more color in the river and water- fall and more white in the trees pers, watermarks and perforations will pass away with the separate issues of the States, which have been the victims of Federal mismanagement, instead of the culprits, as is generally imagined.

Left, Victoria J7; right, Australia J42, with The “new Federal issue” turned out to be the now-famous Kan- “Australia” replacing “Victoria” garoos, this one being the 1913 first issue high value, Sc. 15 70 Years Ago in Mekeel’s: The View of Sydney by B. W. H. Poole (From Mekeel’s Weekly, June 20, 1938, with photos added)

The three first stamps for the Aust.”—an abbreviation for…the Colony of New South Wales are Latin rendering of “Seal of New very generally known to philatelists South Wales, Australia”. On some as “Sydney Views” owing to the of the stamps the bale on which the fact that their central device shows allegorical figure is seated is plainly a view of the little settlement of dated 1788, which is the date of the Sydney almost hidden by various foundation of the colony. fixtures in the foreground. Scott Altogether it was a somewhat describes the design of these three elaborate drawing for any of the stamps as “Seal of the Colony”, rather inexperienced engravers which is only partly correct for, available on the spot to tackle. while one of the Colonial seals— It will also be noted that in their probably that of King George execution of the design the figures IV—gave the idea for the drawing, in the foreground are so prominent the design is anything but a close in contrast with the indistinct view copy of the obverse of the “Great forming the background that it is Seal of the Colony”. obvious the intent was to emphasize According to Collins, one of the the value of industry to the new set- most capable historians of early life tlers rather than to show a view of in this settlement, the design shows the little settlement on the shores “a representation of convicts landing An enlargement of the “Sydney Views” design of Botany Bay. However, the name at Botany Bay received by Industry, “Sydney Views” has become so who, surrounded by her attributes—a bale of merchandise, a firmly established by long usage that there is little likelihood beehive, a pickaxe, and a shovel—is releasing them from their of these stamps ever being known by any other name. fetters, and pointing to oxen ploughing, and a town rising on the summit of a hill with a fort for its protection. The masts of a ship are seen in the bay.” Underneath this device is the motto of the Colony—“Sic fortis Etruria crevit”—meaning, “Thus great Etruria grew” while on the circle surrounding the pic- ture is “Sigillum Novoe Camb.

The earliest known use of a Sydney View, the 1p crim- son lake (Sc. 1, two copies) tied by barred oval cancels on folded letter, with Sydney circular date stamp and “Parramatta JA 15” (1850) receiver on reverse.

Considering that no really expert engravers were avail- able, such as might be obtained in the busy centers of London, New York, or Paris, and that each stamp on the plate had to be engraved separately by hand, these stamps are quite pleasing An 1847 folded cover showing the 1838 1d Sydney Embossed in appearance. Postage, with a computer enhanced detail, in the form of a Seal Artistically they are certainly far in advance of some of the of the Colony. These were only valid for local carriage. crude productions that served as first issues in other parts of the British Empire—those Jervis, contained twenty- of British Guiana, Fiji, and five stamps and for this the Natal for instance—and engraver received seven at least the equals of the pounds or less than $1.50 locally produced stamps per subject. of Victoria, Mauritius or The plates were all Tasmania. engraved on copper and Curiously enough, consequently soon showed though it was decided to signs of wear. The Jervis issue 1p, 2p and 3p stamps, plate for the 3p was more the work of engraving the deeply cut than the others plates was farmed out to and consequently lasted three different engravers. The rare Sydney View 2p blue, Sc. tete-beche pair on longer. In fact it was never Robert Clayton, who engraved cover with interpanneau gutter in between. The stamps in need of retouching whereas the plate of twenty-five stamps are tied by barred ovals. Addressed to the Superinten- the one penny was entirely for the one penny denomination, dent in Melbourne, it originated (lower left notation) re-engraved by Jervis at one had done much preliminary in the Col.(onial) Treasury, 30th July 1850. time while the 2p plate wore so work without charge in the way rapidly that it had to be re-en- of suggesting designs and providing what he considered suit- graved on four different occasions. All this work was done by able samples. The Postmaster-General definitely disapproved Jervis who, probably on account of the superior wear shown of his technique as a whole so that it is evident the contract for by his plate, had entrenched himself firmly with the powers engraving this plate was awarded him as a sop for his unpaid that be. It is interesting to note that he received about six and, probably, unasked early assistance! His charge for engrav- pounds each time he was engaged in “renewing and repairing” ing the plate was ten pounds and as this works out at only $2 a plate or almost as much as he received for entirely making per stamp it can hardly be regarded as excessive. his original threepenny plate. The plate for the twopenny stamp was engraved by John Carmichael. This contained twenty-four stamps and he was paid twelve pounds, twelve shillings for the work or about $2.75 per engraving. The threepenny plate, engraved by H. C. Fabulous Firsts: New South Wales (January 1, 1850)

(This article is taken primarily from Mekeel’s Weekly ar- ticles and auction lot descriptions including a 2009 Prestige Auction of New South Wales postal history. JFD.) The Australian continent, which was Britain’s most remote and least desirable colony, served as a prison for the unde- sirables of society. But as part of the Empire onto which “the sun never set” the use of stamps was an integral part of its history. For the first de- cade or so of the ad- hesive stamp era the Colonies used British stamps. Eventually the six crown colo- 1791 (Oct 22) entire to England headed nies united to form “Rio de Janeiro” and endorsed “pr favour Capt Pease/of the Kent from/the South the Commonwealth of Seas”, no postal markings so the letter Australia. signed “EManning”, from the captain of The coast of Aus- the convict ship “Pitt”, was apparently delivered privately in London. He writes tralia was spotted of “...a few little troubles that we have by Captain Cook on now quite surmounted…We have never August 21, 1770, and seen one single vessel since we left St claimed by him for Jago...” Four convicts had escaped from their temporary home on an island off England. He named Rio de Janeiro, and were presumed the eastern coast New drowned. A fifth escaped at Cape Town, South Wales after and sickness broke out on the last stage that part of Great to Port Jackson which was reached on February 14, 1792. Britain—Wales. Later the northern half of the coast was named Queensland. New South Wales introduced a “stamped” envelope in November of 1838, and also can lay claim to the first stamp (on January 1, 1850) issued on the Austra- lian continent. The 1 penny (1d), 2d and 3d “Sydney Views” values use a design by Robert Clay- ton printed on white to yel- lowish paper, the 1d in lake, An 1847 folded cover showing the 1838 1d pale red or car- Sydney Embossed Postage, also in the form of mine while on a Seal of the Colony. These were only valid for local carriage. bluish paper in pale red and lake. The design contained several elements: a view of Sydney, a ship in the background, and Britannia (left) wel- coming three new arrivals. The three first stamps for the Col- ony of New South Wales are very gen- erally known to phi- latelists as “Sydney Views” owing to the fact that their cen- tral device shows a view of the little settlement of Sydney almost hidden by various fixtures in the foreground. Scott describes the design of these three stamps as “Seal of the Colony”, which is only partly correct for, while one of the Colonial seals—probably that of King George IV—gave the idea for the drawing, the design is anything but a close copy of the obverse of the “Great Seal of the Colony”. According to Collins, one of the most capable histori- ans of early life in this settlement, the design shows “a representation of convicts landing at Botany Bay received by Industry, who, surrounded by her attributes—a bale of merchandise, a beehive, a pickaxe, and a shovel—is releasing them from their fetters, and pointing to oxen ploughing, and a town rising on the summit of a hill with a fort for its protection. The masts of a ship are seen in the bay.” Underneath this device is the motto of the Colony— “Sic fortis Etruria crevit”—meaning, “Thus great Etruria grew” while on the circle surrounding the picture is “Si- gillum Novoe Camb. Aust.”—an abbreviation for…the Latin rendering of “Seal of New South Wales, Australia”. On some of the stamps the bale on which the allegorical figure is seated is plainly dated 1788, which is the date of the foundation of the colony.

From the British Library Collection: the unique original essays or artwork for the 1d and 3d stamps. The space between the essays was originally occupied by a 2d essay, which is now in The Royal Philatelic Collection. The earliest known use of a Sydney View, the 1p crimson lake (Sc. 1, two copies) tied by barred oval cancels on folded letter, with Sydney circular date stamp and “Parramatta JA 15” (1850) receiver on the reverse. Altogether it was a somewhat elaborate drawing for any of the rather inexperienced engravers available on the spot to tackle. It will also be noted that in their ex- ecution of the design the figures in the foreground are so prominent in contrast with the indistinct view forming the background that it is obvious the intent was to em- phasize the value of industry to the new settlers rather than to show a view of the little settlement on the shores of Botany Bay. However, the name “Sydney Views” has become so firmly established by long usage that there is little likelihood of these stamps ever being known by any other name. Considering that no really expert engravers were avail- able, such as might be obtained in the busy centers of London, New York, or Paris, and also that each stamp on the plate had to be engraved separately by hand, these stamps are quite pleasing in appearance. Artistically they are certainly far in advance of some of the crude productions that served as first issues in other parts of the British Empire—those of British Gui- ana, Fiji, and Natal for instance—and at least the equals of the locally produced stamps of Victoria, Mauritius or Tasmania. Curiously enough, though it was decided to issue 1p, 2p and 3p stamps, the work of engraving the plates was farmed out to three different engravers. Robert Clayton, who engraved the plate of twenty-five stamps for the one penny denomination, had done much preliminary work without charge in the way of suggesting designs and providing what he considered suit- able samples. The Postmaster-General definitely disapproved of his technique as a whole so that it is evident the contract for engraving this plate was awarded him as a sop for his unpaid and, probably, unasked early assistance! His charge for engrav- ing the plate was ten pounds and as this works out at only $2 per stamp it can hardly be regarded as excessive. The plate for the twopenny stamp was engraved by John Carmichael. This contained twenty-four stamps and he was paid twelve pounds, twelve shillings for the work or about $2.75 per engraving. The threepenny plate, engraved by H. C. Jervis, contained twenty- five stamps and for this the engraver received seven pounds or less than $1.50 per subject.

The rare Sydney View 2p blue, Sc. tete-beche pair on cover with in- terpanneau gutter in between. The stamps are tied by barred ovals. Addressed to the Superintendent in Melbourne, it originated (lower left notation) in the Col.(onial) Treasury, 30th July 1850. The plates were all engraved on copper and consequently soon showed signs of wear. The Jervis plate for the 3p was more deeply cut than the others and consequently lasted longer. In fact it was never in need of retouching whereas the one penny was entirely re-engraved by Jervis at one time while the 2p plate wore so rapidly that it had to be re-engraved on four different occasions. All this work was done by Jervis who, probably on ac- count of the superior wear shown by his plate, had entrenched himself firmly with the powers that be. It is interesting to note that he received about six pounds each time he was engaged in “renewing and repairing” a plate or almost as much as he received for entirely making his original threepenny plate. Fabulous Firsts: Victoria (January 3, 1850)

Located in southeast Australia, Victoria today is Aus- tralia’s smallest state, with its main population centers being Port Phillip and Melbourne. In the late 18th century, while still only inhabited by Aboriginals, Victoria was visited by whalers and sealing parties. In 1788, Great Britain claimed the area and in- cluded Victoria in the colony of New South Wales. Following explorations around the turn of the century, the first European settlement in the area was established in 1803, consisting primarily of convicts, officials and soldiers. Although many of the convicts escaped, and the remaining party was withdrawn to Van Diemens Land, the seed for future growth had been planted. Another short-lived settlement of convicts was made in 1826, but in 1834 two parties arrived from Van Diemens Land and founded the first permanent settlement. In Au- gust 1835, Governor Darling declared that the Port Phillip settlement was part of the colony of New South Wales. In 1851, with a population of 77,000, Victoria became independent from New South Wales, and with the dis- covery of gold, the population grew even more rapidly. Meanwhile the Australian Colonies Government Act was passed in August 1849 and the separation from distant government from Sydney in western Australia went into effect following the passage of the New South Wales As- sembly on July 1, 1851. Postal activities paralleled this political growth. While still part of New South Wales, the first post office was opened in the newly established Melbourne in 1837, and by 1850 45 post offices had been opened in Victoria. The first postage stamps were issued on January 3, 1850, the “Half Lengths”. Unlike the usual practice of having stamps of the colonies printed in England, Victoria opted to produce its first stamps locally—a practice that continued throughout its stamp issuing period. In 1850 stamp production facilities in Victoria were very limited. This explains why the first stamps of Victoria are crude relative to the first issues from most of the British colonies. The production processes being primitive and the almost 30 printings of these stamps also accounts for the many varieties, some of them very rare, that are an important part of studying the first issue of Victoria. The first printing, by Thomas Ham of Melbourne, was in a quantity of 9,600, issued in sheets of 30. While the intended issue color is described as orange vermillion, that shade is an extreme rarity. Gibbons thus gives this as its primary #1. Scott’s policy is to assign the major number to the most widely produced variety, and thus lists dull red as its #1. A great resource for a study of all of the stamps of Vic- toria is http://www.stampsofvictoria.com/. We refer you to that site for a detailed viewing of the many printings and shades, and reproduce here from that site only the orange vermillion (from the first printing) and dull red (from the third printing). I did not want to play with the colors, so the images are not the best for detail…but then, that is how the stamps actually look. So to the right, we show an example with more detail. Actually, this is the only known unused ex- ample of the orange ver- million, but the color is off from the actual color; however, it Left, orange vermillion is a good presentation of right, dull red the detail in the stamp. (Note: while Scott lumps the results of all of the print- ings of the first 1p under #1, Gibbons separates states of the die, so the dull red is SG #8a.) Scott does list another 1p as Scott 2, that listing being for later printings in distinctive shades, the major listing being rose. There also are two Types, with all of Scott 2 being Type II and Scott 1 encompassing Type I as well as Type II stamps. The early and scarcer printings, such as orange vermillion are Type I. The difference between the two Types is the line of color in the frame above “Victoria”. Shown here, the line of color is thin on Type I and wider on Type II.

Type I Type II Continuing with the 1850 issue, Scott 3 is a 3p Type I, major color blue and Scott 4 is a 3p Type II, major color indigo. The Types are distinguished by the orb on the scepter held by Queen Victoria.

The 1850 3p light blue Type II (Sc. 3a; SG 7) tied by oval handstamps on a J. Valentine Ocean Penny Post- age propaganda cover to London, England, with red “Ship Letter Mel- bourne OC 9 1852” and London back- stamps, endorsed “By Ship Marco Polo” at center, also with a manu- script “8” due mark.

Also part of the first issue is a 2p—actually four list- ings, Scott 5 through 8. In this denomination there are three Types. Left to right, Type I (Sc. 5) has two sets of nine wavy lines criss-crossing in the left and right borders and 22 groups of wavy lines below “Victoria” (arrows). Type II (Sc. 6) also has two sets of nine wavy lines criss-crossing in the left and right bor- ders but 15 groups of wavy lines below “Victoria”. Type III has only five sets of wavy lines in the borders and 15 sets of wavy lines below “Victoria”. Type III is found in shades of lilac (Sc. 7) and yellow brown (Sc. 8). [Reminder: for a closer look, use your pdf magnifier tool.] To complete the Victoria First Issue listings, the 1p and 3p rouletted 7 are Sc. 9 and 10, respectively; and the 3p perf 12 is Sc. 12. The “Half Lengths” were replaced by the full length “Queen-on-Throne” design, beginning in 1852 with the 2p reddish brown, Scott 14 (right), with ad- ditional shades in 1854.

A cover to Cork, Ire- land with endorse- ment “per Oliver Lang” at bottom left, with a hori- zontal strip of four of the Victoria 1p Half Length and a single of the 1852 2p tied by “2V” in oval cancels, also with “Geelong Victoria AU 20, 1855”, Melbourne and receiving backstamps. While Victoria was part of New South Wales, the stamps of both colonies were valid throughout the area, and only two or three of the cancellations identified Victo- ria as the point of origin. The first distinct Victoria postmark was the “butterfly” type, used in 1850-1 by the first 45 Post Offices, shown at right on Scott 5. Starting in July 1851 the second series, the “barred oval”, was used and numbers are known up to 50. The cover on page 4 bears barred oval cancels with numeral 2 V (the V being for Victoria). Victoria joined the UPU in 1891 at the same time as the other Australian colonies and, following Federation in 1901, continued to issue its own stamps until 1913.

Pre-stamp, an 1842 PAID SHIP Letter sydney cover to Glasgow. While not related to mail from Victoria, it does present an excellent example of the time taken to move the mail, with a May or March 1842 postmark on the front and an August 11, 1943 receiver on the back. 25 Years Ago in Stamps: The Settling of Tasmania by W. R. Hunter (From Stamps Magazine, September 11, 1982 with some photos added)

In November of 1642, Abel Janszoon Tasman, a along with British expenditures on the convict estab- Dutch explorer, sighted the land that he called, Van lishments throughout the island. In 1840, a probation Dieman’s Land, in honor of Anthony Van Dieman, system for the convicts was adopted which marked a governor-general of the Netherland East Indies, and change in British policy toward the penal system. landed at what is now Storm Bay, where he hoisted When gold was discovered in Victoria, in 1851, the Dutch flag. many of the former convicts left Tasmania, leaving At first he believed this land to be part of the an acute labor shortage which rocked the economy. Great South Land, which Australia was so often The whaling and shipbuilding industries declined referred to by early explorers. Later, when he did and later the wheat production did likewise since it further explorations in the area, he found the land to could not compete against the flourishing Australian be an island separated from the mainland by a narrow market. strait containing several small islands which, also, A depression struck the economy around 1857 were claimed by Dutch explorers. causing crippling deficits and opposition to all forms The island of Tasmania is a little over 26,200 of taxation. It was nearly twenty-five years before square miles in area, or, about the size of Ireland. It the economy began to improve, and this was mainly is located on the continental shelf of Australia and is from mining and fruitgrowing which began to flour- separated from the mainland by Bass Strait, a 150- ish, forming a basis for a light economy. Much of the mile wide stretch of sea with a depth of 180 to 230 fruit was exported. feet. The island is almost due south of the In the 1890s the majority of the in- state of Victoria in Australia. Although habitants supported a movement which in not attached to the mainland, Tasmania 1901 led to the forming of the Australian is one of the states of the Commonwealth federation, or commonwealth. At that time, of Australia. Tasmania became a state of Australia. It appears the Dutch did not make In 1953 Australia issued a set of three any major settlements in Van Dieman’s stamps to commemorate the 150th anni- land. Most of the early settling of the versary of the settlement of Van Dieman’s island came later by French and Brit- land. Two of the stamps, 3-1/2p each, red ish immigrants. The British made their brown, portrayed separately the first two first settlement at Hobart in 1803-4, and later governors of the new settlement, Lt. Governor another one at a place which was to become, David Collins, and Lt. Governor William Pat- Launceston. These first settlements were made erson. The third stamp in the set, a 2sh green, up mostly of convicts. They were governed shows Sullivan Cove at Hobart, capital of Tas- from New South Wales in Australia. mania. An inscription at the top of the stamp To entice free immigration to the island reads, “Tasmania Sesquicentenary-1953-54”. in hopes of increasing settlements, land grants Also in that same year a single 3p red stamp were offered. Sheep, wheat growing, and Top to bottom, Tasmania Sc. 1; Australia 286, was issued to commemorate the cente- whaling were soon to follow on the wake picturing Tasmania Sc. 2; Australia 263-4 nary of Tasmania’s first postage stamp. of this new immigration. picturing Collins and Paterson; Australia 265 The vignette of the stamp is Tasmania’s In 1825 Van Dieman’s land was made picturing Sullivan Cover, Hobart in 1804. first postage stamp, a profile portrait of a colony, its government was separate Queen Victoria of England, along with from that of New South Wales. During the interim from 1825 to the inscription, in a half circle above the Queen, “Van Dieman’s around 1850, the so called “black war”, brought near extinction Land”. At the extreme top of the stamp is inscribed “Australia.” of the aborigines, the original inhabitants of the islands. It was in 1853 when the name Tasmania was adopted in honor By the middle of the eighteen hundreds the white population of its discoverer, Abel Tasman. was approaching 20,000, but nearly half of this total consisted Apparently, the inscription on early stamps was not changed of convicts, the majority of whom were assigned as slaves to until a set of three was issued in 1858, dropping the name Van the free settlers. Dieman’s land, and substituting Tasmania. The last issue of Grain and wool were two of the main exports of Tasmania Tasmania appeared in 1912 with a surcharge of a former issue, at that time, much of which went to New South Wales. For a a 2p violet. The surcharge was inscribed in red, “One Penny.” time the whaling industry helped bolster the sagging economy, The stamps of Australia are currently used in Tasmania.